Erap not included because no complaint

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is working on bringing home 2 more individuals to strengthen its case against Senator Panfilo 'Ping' Lacson in connection with the murders of publicist Salvador 'Bubby' Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. 

Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor revealed on Friday they have located one more individual in the US, a certain Police Senior Inspector Vicente Arnado, who they believe was involved in the murder.

Blancaflor said Arnado was also a police team leader, and they have already filed an extradition request for him. The second one is Michael Ray Aquino, whose extradition hearing is still on-going.

He said these individuals left the country along with Mancao and Dumlao, and Blancaflor believes flight is an admission of guilt.

He also downplayed accusations that the Department of Justice's (DOJ) case is based on hearsay. He said it is not hearsay because the one who testified, former police officer Cezar Mancao, heard it direct form the source. Mancao testified that he heard Lacson tell Aquino to have Dacer killed.

No complaint vs Erap

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said Friday that former President Joseph Estrada was not included in the murder charge sheet on the double murder of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito because there was no complaint against him.

"The significance of the resolution is that President Erap (Estrada) was not included by the complainants (Dacer's daughters)," Devanadera told radio dzMM.

She said the DOJ could not subject Estrada to a preliminary investigation regarding the twin killings without a formal complaint.

"Maaaring sa kanilang pagsusuri ng mga bagay ay iba ang kanilang paniniwala kaya hindi na nila isinama si Erap (Maybe they did not think that Estrada has something to do with the murders)," the justice secretary added.

The DOJ on Thursday filed 2 counts of murder against Sen. Panfilo Lacson for the twin killings of Dacer and his driver in November 2000. Lacson, who was then the chief of the Philippine National Police and concurrently headed the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF).

Estrada was then the country's president.

The DOJ has also said that the filing of murder cases against Lacson is based on the complaint filed by the daughters of the slain publicist.

The former president's son, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, said Thursday that the non-inclusion of his father from the murder cases proves that the government has no evidence against his father.

The DOJ said that there was probable cause to file the murder cases against Lacson based on witnesses' testimonies, including that of former PAOCTF men, Mancao and Glenn Dumlao, who were both extradited from the United States last year.

Mancao and Dumlao had previously cleared Lacson from the murders, but changed their statements after being arrested by authorities in the United States.

Mancao executed his new affidavit on February 2009 in Florida, a few weeks before his extradition. Dumlao, meanwhile, executed his new affidavit after being brought back to the country.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, meanwhile, labeled as a "squid tactic" Lacson's allegation that the filing of the murder cases against him was politically motivated.

Remonde said Lacson's reaction to the suit was natural. He said that instead of trying to spin the case to politics, the senator should just face the cases.

The secretary added that the filing of charges against Lacson, despite his position in government, proves "nobody gets away with murder." -- with a report from Timi Nubla, ABS-CBN News